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GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey of parents of eight-to-17-year olds shows that vaccination ranks next to last among things they believe they can do to help protect against the influenza virus. Although public health guidelines state that getting an annual flu vaccination is the single best way to prevent the flu, the survey showed that parents ranked it nearly equally (56 percent) with practices such as taking vitamins (58 percent) and dressing appropriately for the weather (55 percent).(1,2) Despite 82 percent of the parents being aware they can vaccinate their child against the flu, less than half of parents (44 percent) say their child has ever received an influenza vaccine.(1) Furthermore, only about half (48 percent) say they were extremely or very likely to have their child vaccinated next flu season even after learning about expanded public health guidelines recommending that all children six months to 18 years of age receive an annual flu vaccine.(1,2)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080821/NETH031 )

In the survey of 952 parents, for those with children not previously vaccinated against the flu, about three in 10 (32 percent) believe that their child does not need to be vaccinated against the flu.(1) Additionally, in a parallel survey of 875 school-age children (eight-to-17 years of age), only 40 percent of children say that it is either extremely or very important for them to receive an annual flu vaccine.(1) Around half (47 percent) of children also say that it is extremely or very important that their parents receive an annual flu vaccine.(1)

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